Football has always been more than just a game. It has served as a platform to unite people, break down barriers, and, at times, reflect deeper political tensions. But when the line between sport and geopolitical conflict is deliberately blurred, it is the very essence of sport that is at risk.
This is exactly what we are witnessing in the early days of the Womens Africa Cup of Nations 2025, organized by CAF in Morocco. Instead of allowing the competition to celebrate African womens talent, the Algerian Football Federation FAF has imported its political conflicts into a sporting tournamentthreatening the fragile unity built through football.
A Series of Calculated Provocations
The facts speak for themselves: The Algerian womens national team refused to take part in the official group photo alongside the Moroccan team. Then, the FAF published official content using a modified Womens AFCON logo, removing all reference to Morocco as the host country.
This behavior goes beyond the boundaries of sporting ethics. It is a deliberate act of symbolic erasure, designed to imply that the competition is illegitimate simply because it is hosted by Morocco.